This invention relates generally to a ski rack for storing skis in a densely packed, vertically upright position.
Racks which hold skis in a vertically upright position are used most frequently at ski resorts by guests who have gone indoors, and who wish to temporarily store their skis. Vertical storage is also utilized on the external walls of vehicles, such as buses, in which skiers are being transported. Racks are also useful in any other area where skis need to be stored temporarily or permamently.
There are several desirable features which should be incorporated into this type of ski rack. First, the rack should be able to store skis of all lengths. Ski lengths generally correspond to the height of the skier, and thus can vary to a large degree.
Secondly, the skis should be densely packed on the rack so that the rack does not occupy a large area. The racks usually are located near the door of the building through which the skiers are entering and exiting, and the more densely the skis are packed, the more skis that can be stored within close proximity of the door. Hundreds of skiers may simultaneously use a lodge or dining facility, and a densely packed ski rack is required to provide sufficient capacity to store all of these skis. Close packing is also vital when storing skis on the exterior of a vehicle, since the exposed vertical face of the vehicle is limited. Although skis should be closely packed, it is also important that there be sufficient space between each pair of skis to prevent entanglement with the adjacent skis on the rack.
If the skis cannot be stored on the rack, whether due to lack of space, proximity to the door, or ability to store that particular length of ski on the rack, many skiers will leave their skis strewn about the vicinity of the doorway, generally creating a traffic hazard. Often, skis are left leaning against a vertical surface, such as a wall, window, or tree. In addition to damaging these vertical surfaces, the skis can easily fall and in doing so, usually produce a domino effect on the adjacent skis.
Since the amount of wall space is generally limited, it is also advantageous to have a ski rack which can stand freely on the ground, without supports. Also, if the rack is free-standing, it can easily be moved to permit snow grooming or to permit flexibility in the location and capacity of storage facilities.
Ski racks consisting of a series of adjacent, elongated baskets or pockets in which the tail end of the skis can rest are known in the art. Often such an arrangement is found on the exterior wall of a gondola. The advantage of this type of rack is that it is suitable to hold skis of all lengths, and requires no moving parts to retain skis upright. However, previous racks of this type cannot alternatively be mounted on the ground as a free standing ski rack. Further, pairs of skis cannot be tightly packed in an edge to edge fashion due to the protruding brake rods on the bindings of many skis. To compensate for the width of the bindings, the pockets are often wider than the portion of the skis within the pocket, which wastes space and allows the skis to shift about.
Other ski racks utilize latches or hooks which restrain the upper portion of the skis, while the tail end of the skis rests on the ground or on a ledge. Examples of this type of ski rack include the patents to Gorlach (U.S. Pat. No. 4,062,453), Busch et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,652), and Novak (U.S. Pat. No. 3,826,378). Due to the fixed distance from the place where the tails of the skis are rested and the latch, these racks cannot support skis of all lengths. Also, the need to manipulate the latch is a major inconvenience to skiers who are usually wearing bulky gloves and whose fingers may be numb from the frigid climate often encountered at ski resorts.
Free-standing sawhorse type racks are shown in the patents to Bell (U.S. Pat. No. 3,685,667) and Bennett (U.S. Pat. No. 3,164,256). However, these racks are limited in application because they cannot be wall mounted and require access from both sides to efficiently utilize space.
Thus, a need exists for an improved ski rack which can be wall mounted or can stand freely, store skis of all lengths, and which allows the skis to be closely packed together.